Monday, June 30, 2014

PACIFIC RIM 2 and STAR TREK 3 Updates

Two sci-fi sequels are moving forward and we have some new updates to talk about. First, we have a release date for "Pacific Rim 2" and some interesting details. The sequel to last year's robots versus monsters blockbuster was not exactly a sure thing. While the film grossed $411 million worldwide, it only managed to take in $101 million domestically, which isn't very impressive. But, the franchise has some decent potential, so Guillermo del Toro is now hard at work writing the sequel's script with Zak Penn ("X2"), and the finished product is expected to hit theaters on April 7, 2017, in IMAX 3D. The filmmaker also revealed that in the meantime we can look forward to an animated series that will extend the "Pacific Rim" universe. Also, it seems that the sequel will be released by Universal Studios, who have taken over distribution duties from Warner Bros.

As for "Star Trek 3", we have the first update regarding the plot and where the crew of the USS Enterprise is headed next in 2016. The film will be directed by franchise writer Roberto Orci, after J.J. Abrams left to work on "Star Wars: Episode VII", and here is what he had to say about the plot:

"In [Into Darkness] they set out finally where the original series started. The first two films – especially the 2009 [Star Trek] – was an origin story. It was about them coming together. So they weren’t the characters they were in the original series. They were growing into them and that continues on in the second movie. So in this movie they are closer than they are to the original series characters that you have ever seen. They have set off on their five-year mission. So their adventure is going to be in deep space."